Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

Just as Zhuang Huai'an was preparing to launch "The Martian" with great ambition,

News came from the Civil Aviation Administration of China that because the data brought back by Shenzhou-5 was quite complex, they could not spare any manpower to help with the preparation of the film crew in the short term, and asked Zhuang Huai'an for his understanding.

In response, a senior leader of AVIC even wrote a letter of apology by hand, entrusting Han Sanping to deliver it to Zhuang Huai'an, and promising that experts with a professional team would be sent over to assist in the second half of the year.

What else is there to say!

Even if Zhuang Huai'an had all the data and information in his mind, in this era, without the help of the China National Space Administration, "The Martian" would be nothing more than "Shanghai Fortress".

"Brother Han, why don't you go and ask again? I don't need those top experts, sending me a few more ordinary people will do, okay?"

Seeing that Zhuang Huai'an was still somewhat unwilling to give up, Han Sanping also sighed.

"That's what I thought too, and that's what I did. As soon as I said it, the big boss gave me a thorough dressing down."

What does this mean?

"The top leader said that while the space program is important, cultural exports cannot be neglected. How can we be so careless? If those foreigners see this, they'll think we've falsified data and that we really can't launch rockets into space!"

Well, Zhuang Huai'an was completely relieved.

"This matter cannot be rushed," Han Sanping said earnestly, handing over a cigarette. "In the current international situation, the significance of cultural exports is even greater than that of a war. The leaders above need to consider this carefully and cannot be careless."

Zhuang Huai'an nodded in agreement. This was indeed true. The awesome thing wasn't Hollywood, it was the United States.

"Alright, I'll have someone notify the other companies. Those who are willing to wait can wait, and those who are not can withdraw their investment."

"You're overthinking it," Han Sanping laughed. "Even if your project drags on for three or five years, they're not going to withdraw their investment. This is a ticket to Hollywood; they're not stupid."

Zhuang Huai'an thought so too. Of the companies he contacted, apart from Guangmang Lao Wang who hadn't found a financial backer yet, Huayi and Yinghuang were both well-funded companies.

Especially with the various questionable tactics employed by Mr. Yang, the owner of Yinghuang Entertainment, Yinghuang Entertainment managed to survive until 2025 before it was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Of course, Yinghuang Entertainment is just one part of Mr. Yang's business empire, and he still lives a carefree life.

After personally calling several people to explain the situation, they all expressed their understanding, saying that when it comes to matters of national importance, everyone has to give way.

After watching him finish his phone call, Han Sanping, sitting at the tea table, asked, "If you can't film The Martian, do you have any other plans for this year?"

"No," Zhuang Huai'an stood up and stretched. "My schedule this year is all set for The Martian. I haven't considered anything else yet."

"I have a plan!"

Han Sanping, having finally revealed his true intentions, once again tried to sell him his ideas.

"Why not just take a scene from the Three Kingdoms period, like Guandu or Chibi? Big scenes and big productions can still promote culture to the world."

Zhuang Huai'an gave him a disgruntled look and said, "Stop with your little schemes!"

Admittedly, the Three Kingdoms theme does have a good market overseas, but only within the East Asian cultural sphere. It can also reach North America and Europe, but they don't understand the essence of it, and it's easy for it to end up like "Hero," where all that's left is a grand spectacle.

"Didn't I already tell you about this?"

Zhuang Huai'an said with some helplessness, "Look at me, since I debuted, I've only worked on realistic themes. I really can't handle big historical themes like this."

This is a lie; he has the original information and storyboard of "Red Cliff" in his mind.

To be fair, while Wu Baige's "Red Cliff" has a flawed plot, its visual spectacle is quite interesting. If the plot and historical fiction are well integrated, it could definitely surpass "Hero".

"You'd better find someone else to handle this matter."

"So, who do you think could handle this kind of subject matter?"

"Of course it's Zhang Yimou."

Zhuang Huai'an said without hesitation, "When it comes to directing large-scale scenes, apart from the 'Great Battle' trilogy, no one in mainland China can surpass Zhang Yimou."

"What about those in Hong Kong?"

"Brother Han, you need to be more careful. Are you sure a director from a small town can make this kind of movie well? I'm not questioning their directing skills, but their limited perspective restricts their ability to perform."

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping fell into deep thought.

Zhuang Huai'an was too lazy to persuade him anymore. He should do his job. It was normal for Lao Han to be so obsessed with big productions. The job of China Film Group was to promote the progress of Chinese-language films.

Only when Chinese-language films improve can Han Sanping's criticisms improve.

In social interactions, some things are best left unsaid.

If Han Sanping insists on letting Wu Baige direct "Red Cliff," he won't interfere.

The development path of an industry is inherently bumpy; only by learning from mistakes can we learn from them and move forward.

Han Sanping left somewhat dejectedly.

...

Time flies, and it's already April.

Just like the weather, the entertainment industry has been quite lively lately.

The first album to break out of the public eye was Liu Yifei's debut album "Xiao Xiao". With the heavy promotion of 91 Company and Enlight Media, the album sold like hotcakes as soon as it was released. The official version sold more than 20 copies in the first week alone, and there were countless pirated copies.

In an era when physical records were declining, this achievement was enough to make him the new king of the Chinese music scene in 2004.

Because it contains eight sweet songs, and given Liu Yifei's consistently sweet image, some media outlets have already dubbed her "Little Yang Yuying," a new generation of sweet-song belle from mainland China.

Liu Yifei's fans were unhappy about this. Yang Yuying was indeed a queen of sweet songs back then, but her reputation collapsed later on, and she went from being a pure girl to a sexy woman. Fans felt that this title was sarcastic to their idol.

Regardless of the debate, most netizens believe that Liu Yifei will definitely have a place at this year's MTV Awards.

On the other hand, Shanghai TV launched the nationwide registration for "My Show," creating a complete chain of contestant training, stage competition, and signing for debut, firing the first shot in the mainland talent show scene.

The scene was grand, but in reality, all this hype is paving the way for next year's "Super Girl".

The case of Gao Feng, the husband of football player Yingzi, having an illegitimate child has sparked heated discussions across the country. The incident has shattered the perfect image of celebrities in the arts and sports, and the public has begun to widely discuss the private lives of artists and the legal issues of children born out of wedlock.

Who would have thought that the person who started the rise of gossip media in mainland China was not a big director or star, but an athlete.

Veteran TV host Mr. Zhao was also embroiled in a farcical "debt incident." A woman surnamed Rao sued Mr. Zhao in Fengtai Court, claiming that when she worked as a health care doctor at CCTV, she treated Mr. Zhao for the sequelae of his right foot fracture, which enabled him to recover.

However, after the treatment ended, she repeatedly urged Mr. Zhao to pay the 3800 yuan treatment fee, but Mr. Zhao never paid the fee.

This matter didn't attract much attention until Ms. Rao revealed that she and Mr. Zhao had had an improper relationship since 1996, and even cried in front of the media that Mr. Zhao was not even as good as Gao Feng.

Public opinion has completely exploded!

Even many people in the entertainment industry have publicly taken sides, with one side supporting Ms. Rao's rights protection and the other supporting Mr. Zhao's character. Netizens are also arguing fiercely on various forums and online communities.

In an attempt to generate buzz, a reporter even cornered Zhuang Huai'an outside the 91 Company as he was heading home, asking him for his opinion on the matter.

"It's very simple."

Zhuang Huai'an replied with a serious expression: "Didn't Ms. Rao sue Mr. Zhao? In that case, we'll just wait for the court's verdict. I believe the judicial system is fair and will not wrong any good person, nor will it let any bad person go free."

Okay, the reporter immediately shut up. You've already made such a big deal out of this, so if I ask any more questions, it'll be considered impolite of me.

Surprisingly, after the interview was posted online, it gained the approval of many netizens. Suddenly, fewer people in the entertainment industry took sides. If they encountered an unavoidable interview, they all learned from Zhuang Huai'an's words: "Trust in the law."

These pragmatic actions amazed Zhuang Huai'an. If this were the era of social media, his words would surely have been praised and commented on by relevant departments.

Without paying much attention to these matters, Zhuang Huai'an arrived in Hong Kong.

Although the film declined invitations from the Hong Kong International Film Festival and the Hong Kong Film Awards, the other party was quite pragmatic, and "Detachment" was still nominated for many awards.

Li Ming won Best Actor, Liang Jiahui won Best Supporting Actor, Liu Jialing won Best Supporting Actress, Wan Qian won Best Newcomer, and Zhuang Huai'an won Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Film.

Also nominated for Best Original Song are Phoenix Legend's adapted version of "Underwater" and Zhuang Huai'an and Liu Yifei's duet "Coral Sea".

One film, nine nominations!

The announcement of the list once again demonstrated Zhuang Huai'an's dominance over the awards.